Maybe you have Spiraea prunfolia 'Plena' and you are comparing it with one like 'Snowmound' or like Van Houtte spirea. In short, apples and oranges.

Bought it at Lowes...God knows what it really is, but it's supposed to be a bridle wreath spirea. Thing is, don't you think that what ever it is it should bloom all at once more or less? Here it is late April and I have some clusters of tight buds in some areas and others have nothing yet. It will flower, lose flowers and flower somewhere else. Never all at once. yes, it is in full sun.

That is odd. 'Bridal Wreath spirea is a pretty dependable plant, as you suggest in your intro. And you're not in a borderline hardiness zone for this plant either. Something you might try-but not until next winter-is to give the plants a more or less bowl haircut-style spirea pruning, whereby roughly 50% of the stem length (of each stem) can be removed. To do this right, one should also perform a renewal pruning at the same time, which consists of removing-at ground level or as near to it as possible-the oldest, thickest stems. The combo of the bowl haircut along with a round of renewal pruning is quite workable with all Spireas, and even though 'Bridal Wreath' is an old-fashioned cultivar, this is still the best treatment. I'm not sure this will solve the riddle, but it is a good treatment for the plants regardless. But honestly, the issue you raise is an odd one, especially given the background info.

+om

Thanks Wisconsitom, I will try that this winter. Could a cedar which is about 50 feet away have any affect? I know they are said to cause issues with some other plants like apple trees I believe. When we lived in N. Illinois we had bridle wreath, or so I thought, and it bloomed magnificently.

No, no relationship that I'm aware of, a la "Cedar/Apple Rust, which I presume you are talking about. BTW, in that pathogen, the term "cedar" is once again being misused, the plant in question being a juniper. But you don't have that.

+oM

I mention the rust because two years ago most of the leaves turned a spotty rust color and parts of the plant died. I used a fungicide, not knowing what else to do, but that did not help. I will send a picture of this pathetic little guy. Five years is much too long for not having met your potential. It's a great spot too...at the corner of the fenced veg. garden. Thanks again

Yeah, that's weird-such a reliable and old-school shrub. There are rows of them in one of our parks-get very little maintenance, yet still look great almost every year. I didn't have time to look it up, but many plants can be affected by rust fungi, so I doubt you hurt anything by treating for that, although timing is of the essence with most fungicides, their action being prophylactic rather than curative. There are exceptions.

+oM

This is my poor Bridle wreath. 5 years old and this is as good as it gets. It is beginning to flower in parts and other parts are a long way off....and here it is the end of April. Our Property is on an old Tobacco farm and many planting have had trouble unless the soil is drastically amended. It's a sandy red clay and drains quite well. I believe mushroom compost is what I used for planting and every late winter some 10-10-10....to no avail as you can see.

Amending planting holes actually tends to make conditions within the hole worse, due to how it affects movement of water into and out of the amended area.

If you keep applying 10-10-10 you may eventually create a phosphorus toxicity. The odds are against your soil needing mineral supplementation in even percentages of the three primary nutrients. It would be better to sample your soil and have it analyzed before continuing annual fertilizer applications.

YEs, given the high clay content of your soil, it is apt to have a high CEC-cation exchange capacity-meaning, it has lots of binding sites for positively-charged nutrients. For example, where I live, we have also a red clay subsoil. It was learned-even before the big push top lower phosphates in fertilizers-that our native soil here had adequate P for almost any species' needs. Throw in the relatively newer understanding of the role of mycorrhyzae, which appears to be primarily the extraction of phosphates from the soil, which is in turn hindered by fertilizer applications that are high in this nutrient.......you may not need that fertilizer at all. Then again, I'd be surprised if any of this soil business has anything to do with your plant's performance. I think I'd cut it down completely next year or else do the bowl haircut w/renewal pruning and see where you're at more or less one year from now.

+oM

I understood the "cut it down completely" part. Everything else caught an updraft and went over my head. I have been adding compost to the soil with everything I plant. The previous reply makes me doubt that wisdom. Is it better to just let the plant have the compost that is in the pot and let it acclimate to the natural soil?

Don't amend planting holes, This causes drainage weirdness sometimes, and in any case, it does the plant no good to have real "good" stuff in the tiny zone of backfill when, in fact, if it is to survive and thrive, it will have to root out far beyond that zone.

+oM

Thanks. Better to have learned late than to have never learned at all. I will cut the Bridle wreath way back this winter, forgo the fertilizer and see what happens.